If you’re viewing this page on a phone or tablet, please turn to view in landscape mode, thank you. If you can’t see the list of services on the right hand side please use the connecting links or scroll down for these and other events and information.

Updates during this time of pandemic and resources to use at home

• Our churches have now re-opened! For locations and details click here – we look forward to seeing you!
  
• All services will follow government guidelines as follows:
  • Social distancing – please sit 2m or more apart using marked pews or seats as they are positioned
  • Please use hand sanitiser provided on entering and leaving the church
  • Wearing of face covering is recommended
  • No singing – we may have some music to hum along to!
  • Communion will be with wafers only
  • Services will be on wipe clean laminated sheets – please leave on the seat at the end of the service
• Our online services will continue, led by Rev Lynn and other worship leaders using Zoom software. These include morning and evening prayer and are on most days of the week. Click here for details. Please contact Rev Lynn if you would like to join us.
• Our churches are also open for private prayers and visitors, click here for details.
• Pub theology is taking a break for August….
• Families in Downderry are in financial need at this difficult time – Click here for more details – please help if you can.
• Lynn’s letter for August and the monthly newsletter can be found here
• A booklet of prayers during the pandemic can be downloaded here: Outbreak Prayer Book Digital Single Pages 2 April_0

Other online options

The Truro Diocese all age session at 9.30 on Facebook continue on a Sunday as usual! There is now a rota for these sessions that will still include Bishop Philip and Ruth.

You can download Bishop Philip’s most recent pastoral message here:  Bishop Philip letter 17.4.20

Or you could still listen to one of the many radio options – Radio 4, Radio Cornwall offer services on a Sunday around 8am.

Or you could look at: Church of England website – or at many churches and cathedrals up and down the country!

A very good resource is https://www.churchofengland.org/more/media-centre/church-online

Browse a whole range of prayers you can choose from to read – or listen to:

Or using your computer, tablet or phone (as you prefer) and from your web browser access morning and evening prayer using this link:

Click here and choose what you need.

To read or hear the prayer for today, click on this link: http://cofe.io/TodaysPrayer

Browse around the various pages and you’re sure to find something that interests you.

Alternatively download an App for your tablet or phone. Church House Publishing or provide a number of these Apps and these can be downloaded from https://www.chpublishing.co.uk/apps/daily-prayer

The normal ‘Sunday Sheets’ for August can be found here: August2020

Parish Contacts

Parish Priest: Rev. Canon Lynn Parker – main point of contact for all matters

Parish Wardens: Paul Gribble and Bill Woods

Readers/Licensed Lay Ministers: Richard Laugharne, Margaret Sylvester-Thorne, David Watters

For weddings, baptisms, funerals and church services:  Rev. Canon Lynn Parker, David Watters and Margaret Sylvester-Thorne

Children’s work: Rev. Canon Lynn Parker, Evelyn Reed, David Watters and Margaret Sylvester-Thorne

Messy Church: Evelyn Reed

For buildings and general parish enquiries: the Parish Wardens:   Paul Gribble and Bill Woods

For Safeguarding:  Margaret Sylvester-Thorne

Pastoral Visitors Team:  Pat Paxton

Parish Giving Scheme:  David Watters

Finances: the Treasurer, Paul Gribble

Electoral Roll: Brenda Daw

Enquiries about individual churches:

Downderry:  Andrew Pidgen

Hessenford: Fran Moore

St Germans: Richard Laugharne

Tideford: Sue Merrick

Deanery Synod Reps:  Margaret Sylvester-Thorne, David Watters and Bill Woods

PCC Members for April 2019

Sue Booth, Fiona Bristow, Yvonne Byles, Dawn Couling, Jenny Daniel, Sue Merrick, Fran Moore, Hugh Parker, Andrew Pidgen, Tim Pullin, Evelyn Reed, Rosemary Stevenson

Hire and other info on St Germans Priory Church for events:

The St Germans Priory Trust:   www.stgermanspriory.info

Hire of the Church Hall in Hessenford:  http://www.hessenford.net

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Lynn’s Letter

It has been really lovely to see so many people taking the opportunity to get together and worship via the internet using zoom. There is now a regular pattern of services, and the weekday morning or evening prayer are led by the readers or worship leaders. These are always interesting as I have given them a chance to be creative, and so we have seen them using videos and music and homilies to enhance the daily prayer time.

Now that we have the opportunity to be back together in church on a Sunday morning for “real” services, I have added the Sunday evening worship for those people who are not yet able to come out, or who feel that joining together on a Sunday evening is a good way to round up the weekend in praise and thanks giving.

You will notice on the pattern of services that your church has a service now every other week, with the week in between having a service at another local church in the benefice. I do hope you will take this opportunity to find new friends and services as you travel around the benefice to find Sunday worship that suits.

Weddings will also be starting up in August and although we have to adhere to current government guidelines with no singing, the wearing of masks and social distancing, it will be lovely to welcome the wedding couples and their families and friends into church for a time of celebration, and we will endeavour to make these occasions a day to remember.

Another new occurrence in the benefice is that we are delighted to welcome Laura Bushell-Hawke here as our new curate. She would normally have been ordained Deacon by now, but with lockdown this has not happened, but nevertheless she is starting to work with us joining in on services and getting to find her way around the churches.

Please say hello when you meet her and welcome her and her family to our benefice.

Yours in Christ

Canon Lynn

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For this month’s newsletter please click on this link 8. August 2020 Newsletter

And a letter from our new curate Laura:

Who is the new curate? 

I’m Laura and I’m married to George. Until recently George and I lived in Saltash with our children Isabella and Sebastian.   We’ve have been married for thirteen years, having run away to get married by a minister over the anvil at Gretna Green.  George works in the manufacturing sector and is responsible for Quality Assurance and Health & Safety within a company based in Saltash.  He is currently completing a Masters degree with the Open University.

Issy goes into Year 7 this September, she is a keen Guide and loves animals.  Seb is heading into Year 3, he is a Lego expert and a fast runner.  Issy and Seb share a love of biscuits, mummy’s baking and making mischief when it will make mummy most embarrassed!

My faith journey has been quite rapid: having experienced a strong and sudden unexpected desire to attend church on Christmas Eve 2012 I’ve taken a very steep learning curve into Christian life, starting with taking the children to Messy Church, through to regularly attending on a Sunday morning, doing the Alpha Course and on to being confirmed.  On Christmas Eve 2015 during the midnight Eucharist I realised that God was leading me on the path to Ordination.  The Bishop of Truro agreed to me starting training for Ordination and I attended the newly opened St Mellitus College South West.  This is a national college that primarily trains candidates for Ordination in the Church of England.  I was fortunate to be allowed to train for three years studying for the BA (Hons) in Theology, Ministry and Mission.  St Mellitus College emphasises the practical application of the teaching, so part of each week was spent out in placement with the Tamar Valley Benefice, in addition I did a long placement at Liskeard and with Marjon Uni’s Chaplaincy Team.

I came to Ordination training having owned my own business teaching accredited courses such as First Aid, Health and Safety and Safeguarding which was a very rewarding job helping people to have the confidence to save a life.  Since 2002 I have also volunteered with the RAF Air Cadets, which is how I met George and later on we were both commissioned into the Training branch of the RAF Volunteer Reserve.  My final post was with the National Media Communications Team at RAF Cranwell, co-chairing the Volunteer Recruitment Committee.  I really enjoyed working with the Team and learned a lot about press releases, social media and how to raise the profile of an organisation.

As a family we are delighted to be joining the St Germans, Antony and Sheviock Benefice and look forward to getting to know you all as we continue discover God’s Kingdom here in South East Cornwall.

With love and prayers – Laura

~   News and Events in the Parish   ~

All our public events have been cancelled for the time being but we are meeting online where we can.

Zoom Pub Theology

Taking a break for August

A chance to discuss ideas and thoughts about all matter of things theological.

After a short introduction of 5 minutes, the conversation is open.

Meet via Zoom from 7.30 – 8.30pm on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month.

Topics:       TBA….in September

For a Zoom link or enquiries or suggestions, ring Richard Laugharne (01503-230333) or email on richard.laugharne@nhs.net

All welcome! Click here to go back to top.

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Downderry families need your help!

Young families are suffering through lay-offs or vastly reduced income.

To help these young families, food parcels of around £30 value each have been delivered to the school to be passed to families as they see fit. This has been done through the generosity of local anonymous donors in co-operation with Downderry Stores who also were generous in their provision.

In addition the school have placed a covered plastic box outside the school so that individuals can drop items of tinned or dry food plus domestic consumables during the school day – the school being open for children of key workers.

The purpose of this notice is to give you an opportunity to support this ministry at this special time in our national life. There are three ways you can do this:

1. You can support a family by funding a shopping box. The cost is in the region of £30 and you should contact David Watters (01503 250 521 or david.watters1@gmail.com) and he will give you details about how this will work.

2. If £30 at one go is too much for you – and we understand that! – drop CASH in an envelope through David’s door (Jasione, Front Road, Downderry) marked ‘For Families in Need’ – you can add your name if you want to but you do not have to …….

3. You can deliver tins etc to the box at St Nicolas School- or if you cannot get there yourself, let David know and collection can be arranged.

We can all be sure that this problem will be with us for some time and families might need support for many weeks or months – so this is not a ‘one of’ situation but it is a God-given opportunity to demonstrate Christian love and support in and for our community.

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Messy Church

meeting in St Germans Methodist Church

Currently cancelled, but work going on in the background

Messy Church is a form of church for children and adults that involves creativity, celebration and hospitality – it’s fun!

If you’d like to help out please speak to Evelyn or ring her on 01503 230449

Find out more at https://www.messychurch.org.uk/what-messy-church-and-isnt

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Events at St Germans Priory Church

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None at present

Services and events in our other Benefice Churches